a kind of Omnipotency as is clear that all things are possible to them that believe but it hath a kind of Omnisciency and all knowledge that it can take up and comprehend all the greatest mysteries of Heaven according to that word Prov. 28.5 He that seeketh the Lord shal understand all things As if he had said there is nothing dark to a believing Christian as there is nothing impossible to a believing Christian As likewise Faith is that grace that must take aside the vail that is spread over the face of a crucified Christ and Faith is that precious Spy thatgoeth forth and taketh up these wonderful excellencies that are in him The grace of Love as it were is born blind and it hath nothing wherewith to solace it self but that which is presented unto it by this noble and excellent grace of Faith Now before we shal speak any thing to these things that we did propose to speak of at last occasion we shal yet speak a little unto some things which are necessary to be known for the distinct uptaking of the nature of justifying Faith which is the great commandment of this everlasting Gospel and that which we would first speak to shall be this What is the reason and ground that the Gospel conveyance of righteousness and life and of the excellent things of this everlasting Covenant should be thorow the exercise of the grace of Faith for it is not said in the Scripture that Repentance justifieth that Love justifieth or that Mortification justifieth but it is Faith only that justifieth and it is Faith by which a Christian inheriteth the promises So that is clear that Faith is that conduit-pipe thorow which are conveyed to us the great blessings of this everlasting Covenant I. And the first ground of it is this it is thorow Faith that all our blessing may be known to be by love and by free and unsearchable grace as is clear Rom. 4.16 while the Apostle is giving a reason why the inheritance is conveyed to a Christian through Faith It is of Faith saith he that it might be of grace for if the inheritance were conveyed to a Christian thorow a covenant of works then these spotlesse draughts of infinite love and of unsearchable grace should not be written on our inheritance as it is clear Rom. 4.25 And it is that gâ—eat design of Christ to make his grace conspicious in conveying salvation to us through Faith II. There is this second ground likewise of it that all the promises and blessings of this everlasting Covenant might be sure and stedfast to us therefore they are conveyed to us through the exercise of the grace of Faith as is clear Rom 4. â—6 They are of Faith saith he that they might be sure or as the word is that they might be setled When the promises of life and of eternal salvation were conveyed to us through mans obedience were they not then most uncertain and unstable But is not Heaven your everlasting crown now stedfast unto you seeing ye have that golden pillar of Christs everlasting righteousness to be the foundation of your Faith and the strength of your confidence in the day of need III. There is this third ground why the promises excellent things of this Gospel are conveyed to a Christian through the exercise of Faith that all boasting and gloriation might be excluded according to that word Rom. 3.27 By what law is boasting excluded Not by the law of works but by the law of faith And certainly seeing Chirstians have all the great things of heaven conveyed to them through the exercise of Faith think ye not that this shal be your first song when ye shal be within the gates of that new Jerusalem Not unto us not unto us but unto thee doth belong the glory of our salvation O what a precious dignity were it but for an half hour to be admitted to hear those spotless soÌ„gs that are sung by those thousaÌ„d times ten thousand thousands of thousands of holy angels that are round about this throne Doth not David that sweet singer of Israel now sing more sweetly then he did while he was here below Doth not deserted Haman now chant forth the praises and everlasting songs of him that sitteth upon the Throne And doth not afflicted Job now sing sweetly after his captivity is reduced and he entered within that Land where the voice of joy and gladness is continually heard Would ye have a description of heaven I could give it no term so sutable as this Heaven is a rest without a rest for though there remain a rest for the righteous yet Rev. 4.8 These four beasts that stand before the Throne they rest not night nor day crying Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty yet there is much divine quietness in that holy unquietness that is above IV. There is this last ground why the blessings of the Gospel and life and righteousness are conveyed to us through the exercise of Faith that the way to attain to these things might be pleasant and easie We aâ—e certainly perswaded that the way of winning to heaven by a covenant of works was much more unâ—leasant and difficult but it is not an easie way of entring into the Holy of Holies to win unto it through the exercise of Faith Are not all wisdoms wayes pleasantness And are not all her paths peace Was not that just self-denial in one that said he would not take up a Crown though it were lying at his foot But oh that cursed self-denial doth possess the breasts of many so that though that Crown of immortal glory and eternal blessedness be lying at your feet yet ye will not imbrace it nor take it up Is not the hatred of many to Christ covered with deceit And therefore your iniquity shal be declared before the Congregation Now that what we have spoken upon this might be more clear and that the nature of justifying Faith be not mistaken we would have you take notice of these things 1. That the grace of Faith doth not justifie a Christian as it is a work or because of any inherent excellency and dignity that is in this grace above any other graces of the Spirit but faith doth alone justifie a Christian instrumentally and objectively that is it is that by which a Christian is just by laying hold on the precious object of it the righteousness of Christ And to clear this we would only have you knowing this that saith doth justifie as it closeth with Christ but not because it closes with Christ which some vainly are bold to assert because there is not any dignity or worth in the act of Faith inclosing with Christ that can be the foundation of our justification else it were to confound that precious degree of free grace 2. There is this that we would have you all knowing that faith is not the instrument of justification as justification is taken in an active sense though it is
and is crying out that word in Isai 65.1 Behold me behold me O may we not summon Angels and those twenty four elders about the Throne to help us to wonder that ever such a command as this came forth that we should believe on the name of the Son of God after that we had broken that first and Primitive command That we should not eat of the forbidden tree VVas not this indeed to make mercy rejoice over judgement And O may we not wonder at the precious oath of the everlasting Covenant whereâ—…y he hath sworn that he delighteth not in the death of sinners What suppose ye were poor Adams thoughts when at first the doctrine of free-grace and of a crucified Christ Jesus a Savior was preached unto him in Paradise What a divine surprisal was this that Heaven should have preached peace to earth after that earth had proclaimed war against Heaven Was not this a low step of condescendency to behold an offended God preaching peace and good-will to a guilty sinner What could self-destroying AdaÌ„ think of these morning first discoveries of this everlasting Covenant Christ as it were in the morning of time giving vent to that infinite love which was resting in his bosome precious heart before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid We know not whether the infiniteness of his love the eternity of his love or the freedom of it maketh up the greatest wonder but sure these three joyned together maketh up a matculess and everlasting wonder Would any of you ask that question what is Christ worth We could give 〈◊〉 answer so sutable as this It is above all the Arithmetick of all the Angels in Heaven and all the men on earth to calculate his worth all men here must be put to a divine non plus This was Jobs divinity Job 28.13 Man knoweth not the price of wisdom and must not Jesus Christ who is the precious object of faith and wisdom of the Faither be a supereminent excellent One who hath that name of King of Kings and Lord of Lords not only engraven on his vesture which pointeth out the conspicuousness of his Majesty but even also upon his thigh to point out that in all his goings motioâ—s he proveth himself to be higher than the Kings of the earth And howbeit the naked proposing of the object doth not convert yet if once our souls were admitted to behold such a sight as Christ in his beauty and Majesty and to be satisfied with the divine rayes of his transcendent glory then certainly we should find a blessed necessity laid upon us of closing with him for Christ hath a sword proceeding out of his precious mouth by which he doth subject subjugat his own to himself as well as he hath a sword girded upon his thigh by which he judgeth and maketh war with his enemies We confess it is not only hard but simply impossible to commit an hyperbole in commending of him his worth being always so far above our expressions our expressions alwayes so far beneath his worth therefore we may be put to propose that desire unto him Exalt thy self O Lord above the Heavens But now to our purpose being at this time to 〈…〉 discourse upon that radical and precious grace of Faith we intend to speak of it under this twofold notion consideration First we shal speak of it as it is justifying or as it doth lay hold upon the righteousness of a crucified Savior making application of the precious promises in the Covenant of free grace which we call justifying Faith And in the second place we shal speak a little unto Faith as it doth lay hold upon Christs strength for advancing the work of mortification and doth discover the personal excellencies of Jesus Christ by which we advance in the work of Holiness and divine conformity with God which we call sanctifying Faith However it is not to be supposed that these are different habits of Faith but different acts flowing from the same saving habit laying hold and exercising themselves upon Christ indifferent respects and for diverse ends Now to speak upon the first we have made choise of these words The Apostle John in the former verse had been pointing out the precious advantages of the grace of ObedieÌ„ce of keeping of his CoÌ„mands that such an one hath as it were an arbitrary power with God doth receive many precious returns of prayer As likewise that one who is exercised in the grace of Repentance is Gods delight which is included in this that he doth those things that are well pleasing in his sight And now in these words he doth as it were answer an objection that might be proposed about the impossibility of attaining these precious advantages seeing his commands were so large and that hardly could they be remembred This he doth sweetly answer by setting down in this one verse a short compend or breviary both of Law Gospel viz. That we should love one another which is the compend of the Law and that we should believe on the Name of his Son which is the compend of the Gospel by this he showeth the Christian that there are not many things required of him for attaining these excellent advantages but if he exercise himself in the obedience of these two comprehensive commandments he shall find favor both with God and man And as concerning this precious grace of Faith we have 1. The advantages of it implyed in the words clear also from the scope as no doubt all the coÌ„mands have infinite advantages infolded in their bosom which redouÌ„ds to a believer by his practising of them And 2. the excellency of it holden forth in the words in that it is called his command as if he had no other command but this And the Greek particle is here prefixed which hath a great deal of emphasis and force in it and this is his Commandment But 3. there is this also the absolute necessity of this grace holden forth here in this word his Commandment as if he had said by proposing of this command I do set life and death before you and that you would not conceive that it is an arbitrary indifferent thing for you to believe or not but be perswaded of this that as an infinite advantage may constrain you to the obedience of it so absolute necessity must perswade you to act that which is of your everlasting concernment And lastly ye have the precious object upon which Faith which is justifying doth exercise it self and that is upon the name of the Son of God and no doubt faith is that excellent grace which doth elevate the soul unto a sweet inseparable union with Christ and is that golden precious knot that doth eternally knit the hearts of these precious friends together Faith is that grace that draweth the first draughts of Christs precious image on our hearts by love doth accomplish and perfect them No Faith
taketh hold not only on the faithfulness of God that he is a God of truth that in him there is no lie but likewise it taketh hold on the Omnipotency of God that he is one to whom nothing is too hard and on the infinite mercy love of God that he is one who doth delight to magnify this attribute above all his works and these are the three great pillars of justifying Faith From the first it answers all the objections of sense which doth ordinarily cry forth Doth all his promise fail for evermore And that with his one word If he hath once purposed it he will also do it and if he hath once spoken it he will also make it come to pass From the second it answereth all these objections that may arise from carnal reason and probability which tendeth to the weakning of his confidence And these do oftentimes cry out How can these things be But Faith laying hold upon the Omnipotency of God it staggers not at the promise but is strōg in the faith giving glory to God And it is the noble and divine exercise of this heroick grace of Faith that these objections of reason and probability which it cannot answer it will lay them aside and yet close with the promise which was the practice of believing Abraham who considereth not his own body being weak nor the barrenness of Sarahs womb As likewise it was the commendable practise of that woman Matth. 15. who not being able to answer the second trial of her faith from reason yet notwithstāding Faith made her cry out Have mercy on me O Son of David And from the last a Christian doth answer all the arguments of misbelief which doth arise from the convictions of our unworthiness and sinfulness which makes us oftentimes imbrace that Divinity of Peters Luke 5.8 Depart from me for I am a sinful man But Faith taking hold on the infinite mercy and love of Christ it answereth all with this He walks not with us according to that rule of merit but according to that precious and golden rule of love and boundless compassion But before we shal speak any thing unto you of these things we would a little point out some few things to be known as previous to these we shal not dwell long in pointing out the nature of justifying Faith It is that grace whereby a Christian being convinced of his lost estate of an utter impossibility to save himself he doth flee to the righteousness of Jesus Christ and unto him who is that precious City of refuge and there doth abide till our High Priest shal die which shal not be for ever Or if ye will it is a sweet travelling of the immortal soul betwixt infinite mercy and infinite love betwixt an utter impossibility to save our selves and a compleat ability in him to save to the uttermost betwixt abounding sin superabounding mercy hence Faith is often holden forth to us in Scripture under that notion of coming Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him And we may say by the way that if once a sinner could be brought to this to count all his own righteousness but filthy rags and to believe that a man is as really justified before God by imputed righteousness as if it were by inherent holiness surely such an one were not far from the Kingdom of God Neither shal we stand long to point out this unto you that it is your duty to believe for it is clear not only from this place but likewise from Isai 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the Earth Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest John 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come buy without money and without price But oh it is a great misery of many and that which may be a subject of a perpetual lamentation that we can neither be subject to the Law as commanding to obey it or as threatning to believe it Nor to the Gospel as promising to embrace it and sweetly to receive it O but that primative temptation and delusion whereby Satan did deceive our first father is that whereby he yet seeks to catch and delude many souls viz. That though we eat of the forbidden fruit walk in the vain imaginations of our own hearts yet he doth suggest this to us that we shal not die but shal once be as God this is Satans great and deluding Divinity And therefore to inforce this great and precious command a little further we shal propose these considerations First that the Gospel hath laid no obstruction in our way of closing with Christ and partaking of the effects of the Gospel but on the contrary showeth that the great impediment is our want of willingness which we lay in our own way as is clear from John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye may get life as likewise from Revel 22.27 where the Gates of the Gospel are cast open and whosoever will are commanded to enter in So that although you may father your misbelief upon your inability or that your spot is not the spot of his people yet know that the rise and original of it is want of willingness But to make this more clear we would have you knowing this that all the qualification annexed to this commandment of Faith as that i◠Math. 11.28 speaketh out the qualifications rather of these that will come then of all these that ought to come Or he inviteth these that through the Spirit of discouragement and misbelief have the greatest reluctancy to come and may not that cardinal and soul-refreshing promise John 6.37 stop the mouth of misbelief so that it should have nothing to say He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out ye may reduce your misbelief rather to the sinfulness of your will then to the sinfulness of your walk and if once ye could come to the length of willingness to embrace Jesus Christ all other objections and knots should be sweetly loosed and dissolved Secondly consider that though we should pray the one half of our time and weep the other yet if we want this noble grace of Faith the wrath of God shal abide on us VVhat are all the works of these hypocrits those glistering acts of Law-sanctification but a plunging of our selves in the ditch Until our own cloaths abhor us Therefore it is that after the Prophet Zachary hath made mention in the twelfth Chapter of this Prophesie of making bitter lamentation for him whom we have pierced as for an only Son yet in the beginning of the 13. Chapter he
maketh mention of a Fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness which may intimate unto us that although we have washed our selves with our own tears yet there is use of the blood of Christ and that we must be washed in that fountain even from our own rightousnesses which are but as filthy rags Thirdly consider that great and monstrous sinfulness that is in this sin of unbelief we will strain at a gnat but many will easily swallow down this Camel We will tithe mint and annise and fast twice in the week but neglect faith and love and judgement which are the weighter things of the Law And indeed there are these things which speak out the sinfulness of unbelief 1. That when the holy Ghost is sent to convince the world of sin John 16.9 he pitched upon this sin as though there were no other sin of which the World had need to be convinced He will convince the world of sin because they believe not on the Son of God no doubt there is more sinfulness in that sin then in many breaches of the Moral Law it being a sin against matchless love and against that which is the remedy of sin 2. That it is called by way of eminency disobedience as is clear from Heb. 4.11 Lest any of you fall under the same example of unbelief or as the word may be tendred lest any of you fall after that example of disobedience Eph. 2.2.3 That amongst all these that shal be eternally excommunicate from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power those that are guilty of this sin of unbelief they are put in the first place Rev. 21.1 And 4. That unbelief doth contradict deny these three precious and cardinal attributes of God 1. Doth not unbelief contradict his faithfulness and make him a liar 1 John 5.10 2. Doth it not contradict the infiniteness of his power And 3. the infiniteness of his love and supposeth that there is something too hard for him which his power cannot reach nor his infinite love overcome We may reduce many of our questions and disputings of his good will to this original viz. to the disputing of his power No doubt if we belong to him we shal once sing that note of lamentation over our unbelief This is our infirmity for changes are from the right hand of the most High And lastly to inforce this precious command of Faith consider that it is his command which speaketh forth this that we must not take an indulgence or dispensation to our selves to believe or not to believe at our pleasure and is it not a strange thing that Christians are less convinced of the breaches of the Commandment of Faith then of other commands They think misbelief to be but a Zoar a little sin and it proceedeth either from this that the convictions of other sins as the neglect of prayer or the sin of swearing or committing adultery do arise from a natural conscience for there is somwhat of natures light to make us abominate and hate them when yet the light of nature will not lead us to the convictions of the sinfulness of misbelief it being a Gospel more spiritual sin Or it proceedeth from this that unbelief doth ordinarily pass vail'd under the vizard of some refined vertue as humility and tenderness though that rather it may be said that it is pride and ignorance cloathed with the garments of humility And no doubt Christ doth account obedience to this commandement of Faith the greatest act of humility as is clear from Rom. 10.3 where it is called submission they submitted not to the righteousness of God Or else it proceedeth from this that we conceive that the commandement of Faith is not of so large extent as other commands and so doth not bind us to the obedience of it but know this that it shall be the condemnation of the world that they have not believed on the Name of the Son of God and no doubt but it is Satans great design and cardinal project to keep us back from obedience to the commandment of faith that we should not listē to the precious promises of this everlasting Gospel but should reject the counsel of God against our selves and refuse his precious and divine call The second previous consideration that we would give shall be to show you what are the causes that there is so much disputing of our interest so little believing that we are unstable as water marring our own excellency spending so much of our time in walking under a cloud and are so seldome admitted to read our names in these precious and eternal records of Heaven No doubt these things have influence upon it viz. 1. That we are more judging of God by his dispensations then by his Word supposing ever the change of dispensatiōs to speak for the change of our state this is misbeliefs Divinity that when sense cannot read love in hi◠face but he appeareth to frown and to cast a clou◠over it then it is presumption saith sense to rea◠love in his heart or in his Word but know it was self-denying practice of believing Job to cry out Though he should kill me I will believe in him therfore make not dispensatiōs your Bible otherwise ye will stumble at the noon tide of the day shal halt in your way knew you never what such a thing as this meaned to ascend in overcoming thoughts of his love notwithstanding any thing that his dispensations might preach We conceive that if the eyes of our faith were opened we might see infinite love engraven on the darkest acts and most dismal-like dispensations of his to us though it be often-times written in dark and dim characters to sense 2. There is this likewise which hath influence upon our so much disputing and misbelieving viz. a guilty conscience and the entertainment of some predominant lust which oftentimes occasioneth our walking in darkness and having no light This is clear from 1 Tim. 1.19 where that precious jewel of Faith can be holden in no other place but in a pute conscience that is that Royal place wherein it must dwel and no doubt if once we make shipwrack of a good conscience we will erre concerning our Faith A bosom-Idol when it is entertained doth exceedingly mar the vigorous exercises of these graces which are evidences of our faith and certainly Grace rather in its degrees then in its sincerity or simple being only is that which giveth the clear evidence of Faith Therefore when we find not love in its high and eminent actings we hardly win to make it any clearly-concluding demonstration of our Faith 3. As likewise a bosom idol when it is entertained maketh us to lose much of our high esteem reputation of Jesus Christ which doth exceedingly interrupt the sweet and precious actings of faith For it is certain that if once the immortal soul be united to Jesus Christ by the
the instrument of justification as it is taken in a passive sense the ground of this conclusioÌ„ is this because it is impossible that any actioÌ„ in man can be an instrument of any action in God and therefore that phrase that you have so ordinarily spoken of that faith justifieth it is thus to be resolved that we are justified by faith 3. There is this that we would have you knowing that betwixt a Christians clossing by Faith with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ the justification of a sinner I say there is no natural indispensible connexion between these two but only there is a connexion of divine appointment of free grace though we once conceive there is a naâ—ural aptitude in the grace of Faith to lay hold on the righteousness of Christ more then there is in any other grace of the Spirit as ye may see there is a more natural aptitude and fitness in the hand to receive then in any other organ of the body 4. There is this also that we would have you knowing that a Christian in his first closing with Christ Christ considered as crucified is the immediate object of his Faith and not Christ considered in his personal excellencies Hence it is often in Scripture that Christ as crucified is holden forth as the immediate object of justâ—…ying Faith as is clear Rom 3.5.24 25. And the ground of this assertion is this because that it is the formal object of justifying Faith which doth formerly justify the sinners and on which Faith doth immediatly lay hold as a ransome to satisfy Justice and as a righteousness in which the soul dare venture to be found when it shall stand before the Judgement Seat of God and certainly this is Christ as obedient to the death of the cross And it is likewise clear that the thing which doth engage the foul to Christ is not only because he is good in himself but because he is good to us 5. And there is this lastly that we would have you knowing that though Faith doth alone justifie yet Faith doth not justify being alone Hence is that which we have often in Schools Fides justificat solum licet non solitariè that Faith justifieth alone though not being alone as James doth speak Faith without works is dead and is of no effect Now that which secondly we shal speak to shal be this to point out to you some differences betwixt justifying Faith which is in a real believer and temporary Faith which is in an hypocrite and one that is destitute of that everlasting hope though he do pretend to have it And first that there is such a thing as temporary Faith as is clear from Luke 8.13 it is said there of some that they believed for a season yea in Acts 1.13 it is said of Simon Magus who was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity he believed And those in John 2.23 When they did behold the miracles they believed on Jesus Christ and yet we conceive that their Faith was not sincere and so this was not saving faith And indeed ye may see a difference betwixt these two in the very name temporary for this is such a faith as doth not continue long with him that hath it but doth evanish and pass away for as this is certain that an hypocrite will not alwayes call upon God Job 27.10 so that is also certain that an hypocrite will not always believe in God I tell you that the longest time an hypocrite doth keep his faith Job hath set down in his 18. chapter vers 14. Their hope saith he shall bring them to the King of terrors and then it shall be rooted out of them and their tabernacle their faith will bring them no further then the gates of death and then their faith will flee away as a dream and evanish as a vision of the night II. There is this difference likewise betwixt them that temporary faith it closeth with Christ as a Savior and for righteousness but it closeth not with Christ as a Prince and for sanctification but justifying faith taketh Christ as well for a Prince as it taketh him for a Savior and if Solomon did discern who was the true mother of the child by that that she who would have had the child divided was not the mother of the child so we may say that they who would divide Christ in his Offices it is an evidence that they are not amongst those who are actually made partakers of the adoption of children there is some what of this pointed at in John 6.66 where that which made many who were his Disciples and did once believe desert him was because of the hardness of his command This is an hard saying who can hear it And it is certain that it is a greater difficulty for a Christian to take Christ as a Prince then as a Savior for by that he must make an absolute resignation of himself over to Christ never to be reduced O! when saw you such a sight of Christ that ye were constrained to cry out without a complement to him Truly I am thy servant I am thy servant O! were ye never ravished with one of his eyes nor overtaken with one chain of his neck Believe me they who see him thus do believe that his commands are grievous III. There is this difference that temporary faith is attained unto without the exercise of the Law but justifying faith is not attained to without some measure of the exercise of the Law this is clear Mark 4.5 where speaking of these temporary believers it is said of them That the fruit did imediately spring up c. Are there not some iâ— may be here who think they do believe and yet were never in any measure trembling under the discovering condemning power of the Law Is not that a mystery that one should bâ—ing forth without travelling And is not this a mystery in Christianity that one should believe before he hath found the pangs of the New birth I am afraid of this that many of us have taken up our Religion at our foot for there are many who take up Religion before ReligioÌ„ take them up But would you know the properties of a Christians Faith It is a begotten faith 1 Pet. 1.2 and not a Faith that is taken up at our pleasure And I would only say these two things to you be perswaded of this that hypocrisie may be soon with a very smal threed so that the most discerning Christian cannot take up that desperate enmity that is in them How long did Judas lurk under the name of a Saint even with those that were most discerning And there is this that we would say that amongst all these that shal be eternally excoÌ„municate from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power hypocrites in Zion shal have the bitterest cup of divine indignation presented unto them Hence it is that Christ when he
we will not delight our selves in loving of him And I would say this to you that though ye should weep the one half of your dayes and pray the other half yet if ye want this noble grace of Faith your righteousness shall be but like a monstruous cloath and filthy rags before him For what is praying without believing but a taking of his blessed Name in vain What is our conferring upon the most divine and precious truths of God without believing it is not a lying to the Holy Ghost and a flattering of God with our mouth And we would have you knowing this that there is a sweet harmony that is now made up betwixt Moses and Christ betwixt the Law and the Gospel The Law bringeth us to Christ as a Savior and Christ bringeth us back again to the Law to be a rule of our walk to which we must subject our selves So then would ye know the compend of a Christians walk It is a sweet travelling betwixt Mount Sinai and Mount Sion betwixt Moses and Christ betwixt the Law and the Gospel And we conceive that the more deep that the exercise of the Law be in a Christians conscience before his closing with Christ there is so much the more precious and excellent advantages waiting for him I. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law that it is the way to win to much establishment in Faith when once we begin to close with Christ O Christians would ye know that which maketh the superstructure and building of grace to be within you as a bowing wall and as a tottering sence of that oftentimes ye are in hazard to raze the foundation it is this ye were not under the exercise of the Law before your believing in Jesus Christ There are some who do not abide three days at Mount Sinai and these shall not dwell many days at Mount Sion II. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law it maketh Christ precious to a mans soul What is that which filleth the soul of a Christian with many high and excellent thoughts of Christ Is it not this to have the Law registrating our Bond and putting us as we use to speak to the Horn That is to have the Law cursing us and using the sentence of condemnation against us That which maketh us have such low and undervaluing thoughts of precious Christ is because the most part of us are not acquainted with the deep and serious exercise of the Law that is a mystery to the most part of a Christians practise Ye know that there were four streams which went out from the Paradise of God into which man was first placed and so may we say that there are four golden streams by which lost and destroyed man is brought back again to this Eden and Paradise of everlasting delights First there is the precious stream of Christs righteousness by which we must be justified And secondly there is that stream of his Sanctification by which we must be purified Thirdly there is that stream of the wisdom of Christ by which we must be conducted through this wilderness wherein we have lost our way And fourthly there is that stream of Christs Redemption by which we must be delivered from the power of our enemies and must turn the battel in the gate it is by the Redemption of Christ that we shall once sing that triumphant song O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory O but all these streams will be sweet and refreshing to a soul that is hotly pursued by the Law So long as we see not the ugliness of our leprosie in that glass of the Law we have our own Abana and Parpher that we think may do our turn but when once our case is truly laid open to us then will we be content to wash our selves in Jordan seven times III. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law that it maketh a Christian live constantly under the impression of the sinfulness of sin What is it that maketh sin exceeding sinful to a Christian Is it not this he hath been fourty dayes in Moses School And we conceive that the ground why such fools as we make a mock of sin is because we know not what it is to be under the power of his wrath and the apprehensions of the indignation of God But now to come to that which we intend to speak of we told you at the first occasion that we spake upon these words that there were many excellent things concerning the grace of Faith holden forth in them The first thing which was holden forth concerning this radical grace of Faith was the infinite advantage that redoundeth to a Christian through the exercise of Faith and giving obedience to this command which we cleared to be holden forth not only from the scope but also from the nature of this command And now to speak a little to the point we shall propose these cosiderations that may abundantly show how advantagious a thing this excellent grace of Faith is I. The first consideration that speaketh it is this that Faith maketh Christ precious to a soul according to that word 1 Pet. 2.7 To you that believe Christ is precious And we would have you knowing this that Faith maketh Christ more precious to a soul then sense or any other thing can make him And first Faith maketh Christ more precious then sense because the estimation which the grace of Faith hath of Christ it is builded upon the excellency of his Person but the estimation of sense it is builded upon the excellency of his actings so that because he is such to them therefore they love and esteem him But that heroick grace of Faith it taketh up the excellency of Christs person and that maketh him precious to them Secondly Faith makes Christ more precious then sense because sense looketh to that love which Christ manifesteth in his face and in his hands and in his feet But Faith looketh to that love which is in his heart Sence will cry forth Who is like to thee whose countinance is like Lebanon excellent as the cedar whose hands are as gold rings set with beril and whose legs are like pillars of marble set in sockets of gold Sense will look to the smilings of Christ and will wonder it will look to his dispensations and actings and will be constrained to cry out Who is like unto thee But the grace of Faith solaceth it self in the fountain from whence all these springs and sweet inundations of love do flow Thirdly Faith maketh Christ more precious then sense because Faith looketh not only to what Christ is presently but unto what Christ is from eternity before time and what Christ shall be unto eternity after time but sense only doth look to what Christ is presently And ye must conceive that the sweet travelling of Faith betwixt infinite love from eternity before
preswaded there are many to whom at that day this Doctrine would be ravishing viz. That there were not a death that there were not a God and that there were not an eternity O! will you believe That the sword of the justice of God is bathed in heaven and shall come down to make a sacrifice not in the land of Idumea nor in the land of Bezra but he is to make a sacrifice amongst his people who seemed to make a Covenant with him by sacrifice Ah ah shall we say that if that argument were used to many that within fourty dayes they should be at their long and everlasting home they would yet spend thirty nine of those dayes in taking pleasure upon their lusts I am perswaded of this that there are many who think that the way betwixt heaven and earth is but one dayes journey they think they can believe in one day and triumphant night But O it shal be short triumphing that such Believers as those shal have Therefore O dy to close with a crucified Saviour rest on hiâ— by Faith delight your selves in him with loâ—… and let your souls be longing for the day wheâ— that voyce shall be heard in Heaven O hoâ— sweetly will it be sung Arise arise arise my lovâ— my dove my fair one and come away for behâ—… your Winter is past your everlasting Summer is comâ— and the time of the singing of the birds is neâ—… When Christ shall come over these Mountains 〈◊〉 Bether he shall cry Behold I come and the sow shall sweetly answer Come blessed Lord Jesuâ— come O what a life shall it be that with those two arms you should eternally incircle Christ anâ— hold him in your arms or rather be incircled by him Wait for him for he shall come and his reware is with him and he shal once take home the weâ—ried travellers of hope SERMON IV. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that yâ— should believe on the Name of his Son Jesuâ— Christ c. THere are two great and excellent gistâ— which God in the depth of his boundlesse love hath bestowed on his own First there iâ— that infinite gift and royal donation his own beloved Son Jesus Christ which is called The gift of God John 4.10 And secondly there is that excellent gift of the grace of Faith which God hath bestowed upon his own which is also called The gift of God Ephes 2.8 Faith is the gift of God And is it not certain that these two gracious gifts ought to engage our souls and hearts much unto him Infinite Majesty could give no gift greater then his Son and infinite poverty could receive no other gift so sutable as Christ It was the most noble gift that Heaven could give and it is the greatest advantage for earth to receive it And we could wish that the most part of the study and practise of men that is spent in purfuit after these low and transient vanities might be once taken up in that precious pursuit after Christ We could wish that all the questions and debates of the time were turned over into a soul-concerning question What shal we do to be saved And that all the questions controversies and contensions of the times were turned over into that divine contention and heavenly debate Who should be most for Christ who should be most for the exalting of the noble and excellent plant of renown And that all our judgings and searchings of other mens practises and estats might â—e turned over into the useful search to prove and examine our selves whether we be in the faith or not And I would ask you this question What are your thoughts concerning precious Christ seeing he is that noble object of Faith We would only have you take along these things by which Christ may be much commended to your hearts First there was never any that with the eyes of Faith did behold the matchless beauty and transcendent worth of that crucified Saviour that returned his enemy There is soul-conquering vertue in the face of Christ and there is heaâ—… captivating and overcoming power in the beautyâ— Jesus Christ This first sight that ever persecution Saul got of Christ it brought him unto an endleâ—… captivity of love Secondly there is this that wâ— would say of precious Christ which may engagâ— our souls unto him that for all the wrongs believers do to Christ yet hath he never an ill word 〈◊〉 them to his Father but commends them which is clear from that of John 17.6 where Christ doâ—… commend the Disciples to the Father for the gracâ— of obedience They have kept thy word And for thâ— grace of Faith vers 8. They have believed that the didst send me And yet were not the Disciple most defective in obedience both in this The they did not take up their cross and follow Christ and also that they did not adhere to him in the daâ— that he was brought to Cajaphas Hall And weâ— they not most defective in the grace of Faith as 〈◊〉 clear from Matth. 17 17. and likewise from John 14.1 he is pressing them to believe iâ— him and yet he doth commend them to the Father as most perfect in those things Thirdly there is this that we would lastly say of him who iâ— the noble object of Faith look to the eminent depths of Christs condescendency and then you will be provoked to love him Was it not infinite love that made Christ to ly three dayes in the Grave that we might be through all the ages of eternity with him Was it not infinite condescendency that made his precious head wear a crown of Thorns that we might eternally wear a crown of glory Was it not infinite condesendency that made Christ wear a purple robe that so we might wear that precious robâ— of the righteousness of the Saints And was it not matchless condescendency that Christ who know no sin was made sin for us that so we might become like unto him and be made the righteousness of God in him But to come to that which we intend mainly to speak upon at this time which is that second thing that we proposed to speak of from these words and that is concerning the excellency of this grace of Faith which we cleared was holden out in that that Faith was called his commandment which is called by way of eminency and excellency There are many things in Scripture which may sweetly point out the precious excellency of this grace of Faith and we shal only speak to these things I. The first thing that speaketh out the excellency of Faith is this it exerciseth it self upon a most noble object to wit Jesus Christ Faith and Love being the two arms of the immortal soul by which we do imbrace a crucified Savior which is often pointed at in Scripture and we shal point at these three principal acts of Faith which it exerciseth on Jesus Christ as the object of it 1. The first is to make up an union
betwixt Christ and the believer Faith being indeed an uniting grace and that which knitteth the members to the head and to make this more fully appear we would point out a little what a sweet harmony and correspondency there is betwixt these two sister-graces to wit Faith and Love Faith is that nail which fasteneth the soul to Christ and Love is that grace which driveth that nail to the head Faith at first taketh but a tender grip of Christ and then love cometh in and maketh the soul take a more sure grip of him Secondly ye may see their harmony in this Faith is that grace which taketh hold as it were of the garment of Christ and of his words but Love that ambitious grace it taketh hold of the heart of Christ and as it were his heart doth melt in the hand of Love Thirdly it may be seen in this Faith is that grace which draweth the first draught of the likeness and Image of Christ upon a soul but that accomplishing grace of Love it doth compleat these first draughts and these imperfect lineaments of Christs Image which were first drawn on the soul Fourthly by Faith and love the heart of Christ and of the believer are so united that they are no more two but one Spirit 2. There is this second act that Faith exerciseth on Christ and it is in discovering the matchless excellencies and the transcendent properties of Jesus Christ O what large and precious coÌ„mentaries doth Faith make upon Christ it is indeed that faithful spy which doth alwayes bring up a good report of him Hence it is that Faith is called understanding Coloss 2.2 because it is that grace which revealeth much of the precious truth of that noble object 3. And there is this third noble act of Faith exercising it self upon Christ viz. It maketh Christ precious to the soul according to that word 1. Pet. 2.7 unto you which believe he is pretious And if there were no other thing to speak forth its worth but that it is more then sufficient for no doubt this is the exercise of the higher House to be dwelling on the contemplation of Christs beauty and to have their souls transported with love towards him and with joy in him Reason and amazement are seldom companions but here they do sweetly join together First a Christian loveth Christ because of Christs actings and then he loveth all these actings because they come from Christ 2. Now secondly this pointeth out the precious excellency of the grace of Faith it is that grace which is most my sterious and sublime in its actings it hath a more divine and sublime way of acting then any other grace hence it is called The Mystery of Faith which speaketh this that the actings of Faith are mysteries to the most part of the world and I shall only point at these things which may speak out the mysterious actings of the grace of Faith 1. Faith can believe and fix it self on a word of promise although sense reason and probability seem to contradict the accomplishment of that promise Faith it walketh not by the low dictates of sense and reason but by a higher rule to wit The sure word of prophecy which is clear from Rom. 4.19 where Abraham believed the promise notwithstanding that sense and reason seemed to contradict it He considered not the deadness of his own body neither the barrenness of Sarahs womb but was strong in faith giving glory to God And it is cleâ—… from Heb. 11.29.30 where Faith believed their passing through the Red sea upon dry ground which was most contrary to sense and reason Faith be lieved the falling down of the walls of Jericho bâ— the blowing of rams horns which things are most impossible to sense and reason for sense will of tentimes cry out All men are liars and reasoâ— will say How can such a thing be and yet that he roick grace of Faith cryeth out Hath he spokeâ— it He will also do it Hath he said it Then 〈◊〉 shal come to pass 2. Faith can believe a word of promise notwithstanding that the dispensations of God seem to contradict it as was clear in Job who professed he would trust in God though he should kiâ—… him And no doubt but this was the practice oâ— believing Jacob he trusted that that promise should be accomplished that the elder should serve the younger though all the dispensations of Goâ— which he did meet with seemed to say that promise should not be accomplished 3. Faith can believe a word of promise even when the commands of God seem to contradicâ— the accomplishment of that promise this is cleaâ— in that singular instance of Abrahams Faith that notwithstanding he was commanded to kill his promised seed upon whom did depend the accomplishment of the promises yet he believed that the promises should be performed And though there were indeed extrordinary and strange tryâ—ls of his Faith as he had natural affections to wrestle with yet over the belly of all these believing Abraham he giveth Faith to the promise and bringeth his son Isaac to the Altar though he did receive him back again this is clear from Heb. 11.17.18.19 4. Faith can exercise it self upon the promise notwithstanding that callenges and convictions of unworthinesse and guilt do wait on the Christian this is clear 2 Sam. 23.5 that although his house was not so with God as did become yet he believed the promise as likewise it is clear from Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me and yet that doth not interrupt his faith but he saith As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away And certainly it were a noble and precious act of Faith to believe notwithstanding of unanswerable challenges of guilt the best way both to crucifie our Idols and to answer those challenges is believing and hoping against hope and closing with Christ this is clear from Isa 64.6.7 compared with ver 8. where after strange challenges the Prophet hath a strange word but now O Lord thou art our Father There is an Emphasis in the word now for all this yet thou art now our Father 5. And lastly this pointeth out the mysterious acting of the grace of Faith that it exerciseth it self upon an invisible object even upon Christ not yet seen according to that word 1 Pet. 5.8 Whom having not seen yet ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing 〈◊〉 I pose the greater part of you who are here whâ—ther or not these be two of the greatest paradoâ—… and mysteries unto you For is not this a mâ—stery to love him whom we never saw Whom having not seen yet ye love To love an absent aâ—… unseen Christ is a mystery to the most part of thâ— world and is not this a mystery to believe on his whom we never saw In whom though ye see hiâ— not yet believing And I shal add this that Faiâ—… can hold fast its interest with God notwithstanding the most
precious Christians should call 〈◊〉 hypocrits and not acknowledge us this is clear is the practice of Job and most clear from thâ— word Isai 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israâ—… acknowledge us not III. Thirdly this pointeth out the excellence of the grace of Faith that Faith when it is iâ— exercise is that grace by which a Christian dotâ— attain unto most sensible enjoyments There is great question that is much debated amongâ—… Christians what is the way to win to this happy length to be always under the sweet and refreshing influence of heaven and to have his dew alway coming down upon our branches I can give 〈◊〉 answer to it but this Be much in the exercise 〈◊〉 Faith this is clear from that notion and name puâ— upon Faith Isai 45.22 it is called a look to Christ which is a most sensible act If ye would know a description of Faith it is this The divinâ— contemplation of the immortal soul upon that divinâ— excellent and precious object Jesus Christ for God never made Faith a liar and therefore its eye is never off him that is the noble object of Faith Jesus Christ manifested in the Gospel and it is clear Eph. 1.13 After ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which preacheth out the excellent enjoyments these had after their closing with Christ who is invisible Our Faith is called a seeing which speaketh out this that Faiths sight of God is as certain as if it did behold him with our eyes as is clear Heb. 11.27 Moses saw him by faith who is invisible And we conceive that the ground which maketh the most part of us have such complaints How long wilt thou forget us for ever It is this the want of the spiritual exercise of Faith and are there not some here who may cry out It is more then thirty days since I did behold the King Yea there are some who go a greater length and cry out I have lived these two years at Jerusalem and yet I have not seen the Kings face Yea there are some here whose complaint may go a little higher and cry forth These three years and six-moneths it hath not rained on me but the clouds have been restrained and bound up and the heavens have become brass And would ye know the rise of these complaints It is this ye are not much in the spiritual exercise of faith And to you I would only say these two words First it is easier to perswade a reprobate that he is defective in the fear of God and in his love to God then to perswade some such that they are wanting to God in their saith for they hold fast that piece of desperate iniquity till they die Secondly we would say to those of you whâ— have the valley of Achor for a door of hope anâ— have tasted of the sweetness of Christ some 〈◊〉 you will be less convinced for the neglect of thâ— duty of faith then for the neglect of the duty oâ— prayer or of the duty of keeping the Sabbath day But I am perswaded of this that if the noâ—ble worth of that transcendent object were known we would have a holy impatience untâ— once we did believe IV. Fourthly this also pointeth out the excellency of the grace of faith it is that grace by which a Christian is advanced to the highest and most inconceivable pitch of dignity and that is to be the child of the living God as is clear John 1.12 To as many as received 〈◊〉 believed in him he gave power or prerogative to become the sons of God And certainly that noble prerogative of adoption is much undervalued by many And I will tell you two grounds whereon the most part of men undervalue that excellent gift of adoption First they do not take up the infinite highness of God and what a one he is otherwise they would cry out with David Seemeth it a smal thing in your eyes to be a son to the King of Kings Secondly we do not take up nor understand those matchless priviledges which are given to them who are once in this estate I am perswaded if this were believed that he who is a servant doth not abide in the house for ever though he that is a son doth it would stir us up to more divine zeal in our pursuit after Christ V. Fifthly this likewise pointeth out the excellency of the grace of saith it is that grace by which all othere actions are pleasant to God are taken off our hand as is clear Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain which must be undestood even to all other duties And that word vers 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God speaketh this also that by faith we do exceedingly please him And this is a most sad and lamentable reproof unto many who are here that their actions do not please God because they are not in faith Would you know a description of your prayers ye who are hypocrites and destitute of the knowledge of God It is this your prayers are the breach of the third command in taking the Name of the Lord in vain for which he will not hold you guiltless And would you know what is your hearing of Sermons It is an abomination to the Lord according to that word in Tit. 1.15 To the unbelieving and impure is nothing clean And as Solomon doth speak The plowing of the wicked is sin so that all your actions that ye go about are but an offence to the Majesty of the Lord. Now we would speak to these two things before we proceed to the evidence of faith to wit First that there is a difference betwixt the direct act of faith and the reflecting act of faith for there may be a direct act of faith in a Christian when he is not perswaded that he doth believe but the reflecting acts of faith are these which a Christian hath when he is perswaded in his conscience that he doth believe And we would secondly say that there are many that do go down to their grave under that soul-destroying delusion that they are in the Faith and yet never did know what Faith is I am perswaded there are many whom all the preachings in the world will never perswade that they did never believe their Faith being born with them and it will die with them without any fruit but faith being such an excellent grace and so advantagious whereof we have spoken a few things we shal speak a little further of it First in pointing out some evidences by which a Christian may know whether or not he be in the Faith Secondly I shal give you some helps whereby Faith may be keeped in exercise I. Now there is this first evidence of Faith that a Christian who doth believe he accounteth absence and want of fellowship with Christ and communion with him one of the greatest and
most lamentable crosses that ever he had as is clear Psal 13.3 Lighten mine eyes said David that is let me behold and be satisfied with thy face and the motive that he backeth it with is this Lest I sleep the sleep of death David thought himself a dead man if Christ did withdraw his presence from him also it is clear Cant. 3.1 compared with the following verses where absence from Christ and want of communion with him was the greatest crosse the Spouse had and it is clear from John 20.11.12.13 where Mary had a holy disdain of all things in respect and comparison of Christ But I will tell you what an hypocrite doth most lament and that is the want of reputation amongst the Saints that is the great god and Idol amongst hypocrites and thee which when not enjoyed hypocrites and Atheists lament most the world and the lust of their eyes when they want these then they cry out They have taken away my gods and what have I more They think heaven can never make up he losse of earth And certainly if many of us would examine our selves by this we should find our selves most defective I would pose all you who are here who have taken on a name to be followers of Christ whether or not ye have been content to walk thirty days in absence from Christ and yet never to lament it Hath not Christ been thirty dayes and more in heaven without a visite from you And yet for all this you have not cloathed your selves with sackcloath I will not say that this is an undeniable evidence of the totall want of the grace of faith but it doth eminently prove this that the person who hath come this length hath lost much of his primitive love and much of that high esteem which he ought to have of matchlesse Christ what can you find in this world that maketh you converse so little with heaven I think that it is the noble encouragement of a Christian when he is going down to his grave that he hath this where with to comfort himself I am to change my place but not my company Death to the believing Christian being a blessed transition and transportation to a more immediat constant and uninterrupted enjoyment of God But I believe that if all who have the name of Believers in this generation should go to heaven they might have this to say I am now not only to change my place but also my company For these seventy years I have been conversant with my Idols but now I am to converse with more blessed divine and excellent company O that ye might be perswaded to pursue much after an absent Christ Were it not a sweet period of our life to breath out our last breath in his arms and to be living in the faith of being eternally with him which might be founded upon his Word II. There is this second evidence of one that is in the Faith They do endeavor to advance that necessary work of the mortification of their Idols according to that word 1 John 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Acts 15.9 Faith it purifieth the heart And concerning this evidence least any should mistake it I would say these things to you First the mortification of a Christian as long as he is here below it doth more consist in resolutions than in attainments it is certain that there are high attainments of a Christian in the mortification of his Idols but his resolutions go far above his performances Secondly we would say this That those Christians who never came this length in Christianity to make that an universal conclusion and full resolution What have I to do any more with Idols They may suspect themselves that they are not in the Faith For a Chrâ—stian that is in Christ he is universal in resolutions though he be not so in practice but defective in performances A Christian may have big resolutions with weak performances for resolutions will be at the gate of heaven before practice come from the border of hell there being a long distance betwixt resolution and practice and the one much swifter then the other And thirdly We would likewise say that ye who never did know what it was to endeavour by prayer and the exercises of other duties the mortification of your lusts and Idols ye may be afraid that ye have not yet the hope of seeing him as he is And I would say this to many who are setled upon their lees and who never did know what it was to spend one hour in secret prayer for mortifying an Idol that they would beware lest that curse be past in heaven against them I would have purged you and ye would not be purged therefore ye shall not be purged any more till ye die That iniquity of refusing to commune with Christ in the work of â— ecret mortification I say that iniquity shall not be purged away And we would once seriously desire you by that dreadfull sentence that Christ shall passe against you and by the love you have to your immortal souls and by the pains of those everlasting torments in hell that ye would seriously set about the work of spiritual mortification that so ye may evidence that ye have believed and that ye have the soul-comforting hope of eternal life I would only speak this one word to you and desire you seriously to ponder it What if within twelve hours hereafter a summons were given to you without continuation of dayes to compear before the solemn and dreadful Tribunal of that impartial Judge Jesus Christ what suppose ye would be your thoughts Will you examine your own conscience what you think would be your thoughts if such summons were given unto you I am perswaded of this That your knees would smite one against another and your faces would gather paleness seeing your conscience would condemn you That you had been weighed in the ballance and found light O think ye that ye can both fight and triumph in one day Think ye that ye can fight and overcome in one day Think ye your lusts and unmortified corruptions so weak and faint-hearted an enemy that upon the first appearance of such imaginary champions as most part of us are in our own eyes that your idols would lay down arms and let you trample on them Believe me mortification is not a work of one day or one year but it is a work will serve you all your time begin as soon as you will and therefore seeing you have spent your dayes in the works of the flesh it is time that now you would begin and pursue after him whose work is with him and whose reward shall come before him III. Now there is this third evidence by which a Christian may know whether he be in the faith or not it is that Christ is matchless and incomparable unto such an one according to that word 1. Pet. 1.7
the brightness of his glory and â—his filleth the soul with divine fear and admiraâ—ion Hence is that word Heb. 11.28 That we see by Faith him that is invisible As if he hâ—… said faith is that grace that maketh things thâ—… are invisible visible unto us It letteth the soâ— see Christ in his relative excellencies that is what he is to us Faith taketh up Christ as husband and from thence we are provoked 〈◊〉 much boldnesse and divine confidence and with all to see those rich possessions that are provideâ— for us by our elder brother who was born for aâ—versity Faith taketh up Christ as a blesseâ— days man that did lay his hands on us both And froâ— thence it is constrained to wonder at the condescendency of Christ It taketh him up as dying and as redeeming us from the power of the grave and from the hands of our enemies and thâ— provoketh Christians to make a total and absoluâ— resignation of themselves over unto Christ I serve him all the dayes of their life in righteousneâ—… and holiness And thirdly Faith maketh the soâ— behold those mysterious draughts of spotless lovâ— those divine emanations of love that hath floweâ— from his ancient and everlasting love since thâ— world began Would you know the great grouâ—… why we are so ignorant of him who is the study 〈◊〉 Angels and so all that are about the Throne 〈◊〉 is this we are not much in the exercise of faitâ— And if we would ask that question What is thâ— way to attain the saving knowledge of God 〈◊〉 Christ We could give no answer to it but thiâ— Believe and again believe and again believe Faith openeth those mysterious seals of hâ— boundless perfections and in some way teacheâ— â—he Christian to answer to that unanswerable question What is his Name And what is his â—ons Name There is this secondly that poinâ—eth out the sweetnesse of Faith that it giveth an â—xcellent relish unto the promises and maketh them food to our souls What are all the promiâ—…s without faith as to our use but as a dead letâ—er hath no life But faith exercised upon the promises maketh a Christian cry out The â—ords of his mouth are sweeter unto me then the hoâ—ey and the honey comb as is clear from Heb. 11.12.13 It is by faith that we embrace the promiâ—es and do receive them Thirdly the sweetness of faith may appear by â—his that it enableth a Christian to rejoyce under the most anxious and afflicting dispensations â—hat he meeteth with whilst he is here below as 〈◊〉 clear from Rom. 5.1.3 where his being justiâ—…ed by faith hath this fruit attending it to joy in â—…ibulation and likewise from Heb. 10.34.35 â—oth not faith hold the crown in its right hand â—nd letteth a Christian behold these infinite digâ—ities that are provided unto them after they â—ave as a strong man run their race And when 〈◊〉 Christian is put into a furnace hotter seven â—imes more then ordinary it bringeth down the â—on of man Jesus Christ to walk with them in â—he furnace so that they walk safely and with joy through fire and water and in a manner they â—an have no cross in his company For would â—e know what is the description of a Cross It 〈…〉 want Christ in any estat And would you know what is the description of prosperity It is to have Christ in any condition or estate of life What can ye want that have him And what can you have that want him He is that all so that all things beside him are but vanity But besides this faith doth discover unto a Christian that there is a sweet period of all his trials and afflictions that he can be exposed unto so that he can never say that of faith which Ahab spoke of Micajah He never prophesieth good things to me but rather he may say alwayes the contrary faith never prophesieth evil unto me it being a grace that prophesieth excellent things in the darkeâ— night and sweetly declareth that though weeping do endure for the evening yet joy commeth in the morning And that though now they go forth weeping bearing precious seed yet at last they shal return reioycing having sheaves in their bosome And this may bring in the fourth consideration to point out the sweetness of Faith that 〈◊〉 giveth a refreshing sight of that land which is afar off and maketh him to behold that inheritance that is provided for the Saints in light It goeth forth to the brook Eshcol and there doth pluck down those grapes that grow in Emmanucls land to bring up a good report upon that noble Countrey we are sojourning towards and the city the streets whereof are paved with transparent gold And howbeit it may be a perplexing debate between many and their own souls whether or not these eyes that have been the windows through which so much uncleanness hath entered and those species of lust have been conveyed into the heart shal once be eyes of a dove washed with milk and fitly set and be admitted to see that glorious object the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne Or whether ever these tongues that have been set on fire of hell and these polluted lips that have spoke so much against God and heaven and all his people and interests shall ever be admitted to sing these heavenly Halelujahs amongst those spotless quire of Angels and that assembly of the first-born Or if these hands or feet that have been so active to commit iniquity and so swift to run after vanity shal ever be admitted hereafter to carry those Palm branches and follow the Lamb where ever he goeth Or whether ever these hearts that have been indeed a Bethaven a house for Idols may yet notwithstanding be a dwelling for the Holy Ghost Though these things we say and such like may be the subject of many sad debates to some weary souls and cause many toffings to and fro till the morning yet faith can bring all these mysteries to light and looking within the vail can let us see thousands of thousands who were once as ugly as our selves yet now having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb admitted to stand before the Throne of God and serve him day and night Now there is that fourthly which we promised to speake of concerning this grace of Faith from these words and it is the absolute necessity that is of the exercise of this grace which is holden forth in that word His Commandment which doth import these three things 1. Thâ— all the commands that we can obey without thâ— commandment of Faith it is but a polluting 〈◊〉 our selves and a plunging of our selves in thâ— ditch till our own cloaths abhor us 2. Thâ— God taketh greater delight in the exercise of thâ— grace of Faith then in the exercise of any other And lastly that as to the many imperfections which we have in our obedience there is a sweet act of oblivion past of